Shake and fine strain into a chilled coupe
Daiquiri
A precise rum sour: dry, bright, and ice cold.
Gentle muddle, build, churn, and top
Mojito
A refreshing highball built around gentle muddling, crushed ice, and lift.
Edited by CocktailSteps Editorial Team
- Time
- 6 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Glass
- Highball
- Approx. ABV
- 14% · Medium
- Tradition
- Cuban
- Profile
- Sweet · Sour · Citrus · Herbal
Ingredient totals
Ingredients
Amounts below make one drink. The method, Quick Check, and guided Make use these one-glass amounts.
2 ozWhite rumRecommended brandBACARDÍ Carta Blanca
0.75 ozFresh lime juiceRecommended brandSunkist Persian Lime
0.5 ozSimple syrupRecipe specification1:1 white sugar to water, by weight
Stir 100 g white sugar with 100 g warm water until no crystals remain, then cool before measuring into the drink. Use a scale: equal cups of sugar and water give a different concentration. A richer 2:1 syrup or a concentrated bottled cane syrup needs a smaller measure, not an equal-volume swap; check the bottle’s specification.
8 leavesMint leavesRecommended brandNorth Shore Living Mint
1.5 ozSoda waterRecommended brandFever-Tree Premium Club Soda
1 sprigMint sprigOptionalRecommended brandNorth Shore Living Mint
Measured method · one drink
How to make Mojito
These steps make one glass. For more drinks, use the ingredient totals above to set up, then repeat this method for each serving.
- 01
Wake the mint
8 mint leaves · ¾ oz lime · ½ oz syrup
Gently press 8 mint leaves with ¾ oz fresh lime juice and ½ oz simple syrup 4 times; do not shred the mint.
Wake the mint visual check - 02
Add the rum
2 oz white rum
Pour in 2 oz white rum, then fill the glass with crushed ice.
Add the rum visual check - 03
Lift and mix
Lift and stir · 10 sec
Churn from the bottom for 10 seconds, lifting the mint through the drink.
Lift and mix visual check - 04
Top with soda
1½ oz soda water
Slowly add 1½ oz soda water, then crown the glass with more crushed ice.
Top with soda visual check - 05
Add the mint crown
1 mint sprig
Clap 1 mint sprig once between your palms, then place it beside the straw.
Add the mint crown visual check
Gently press 8 mint leaves with ¾ oz fresh lime juice and ½ oz simple syrup 4 times; do not shred the mint.
AI-assisted illustration of one step. Follow the measured method above; sound is optional.Key move
Bruise the mint; never grind it
Technique note
Why this build works
This build keeps the Mojito refreshing by balancing 2 ounces of white rum with ¾ ounce of lime, ½ ounce of syrup, and a measured 1½-ounce soda top. Gentle presses release mint aroma; stop when the leaves smell fragrant and are bruised, before they become shredded fragments. Churning from the bottom distributes the denser lime and syrup through the rum and crushed ice before carbonation is added. Soda goes in last so churning the still ingredients cannot flatten it, and the fresh mint crown puts the herb's aroma near the nose without adding shredded leaves to the drink.
Common failure points
- The drink tastes vegetal and contains dark mint fragments.
- Press the eight leaves gently and stop once fragrant; do not grind through the stems or shred the leaves.
- The top is fizzy but the bottom is sharply sweet and sour.
- Churn the base from the bottom before adding the soda water.
Measure or substitute
Club soda can replace soda water at 1½ ounces. The ½-ounce syrup measure assumes 1:1 simple syrup by weight. Our 2:1 demerara syrup is more concentrated: begin with less, then taste, or dilute 3 parts demerara syrup with 1 part water by weight to make a 1:1 brown-sugar syrup. Its flavor and color will still differ.
Recipe references
These references describe the drink or its ingredients. Our measured build and teaching notes are CocktailSteps adaptations; proportions and methods may differ from the reference.
Set the station
Tools
JiggerRecommended brandCocktail Kingdom Japanese Style Jigger
MuddlerRecommended brandCocktail Kingdom Bad Ass Muddler
Bar spoonRecommended brandCocktail Kingdom Teardrop Barspoon
Highball glassRecommended brandRIEDEL Drink Specific Highball
Choose your bottle
Bottle buying guide
Best fit is our default. Spend less with Smart buy, or choose Upgrade when you want more character.
White rum
Know the pour
Medium
A long rum drink lengthened with soda and crushed ice.
Contains alcohol. Serve only to adults of legal drinking age and enjoy responsibly.
